Intrathecal Morphine Analgesia Speeds Extubation and Shortens Intensive Care Unit Stay after Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting

Spinal (Subarachnoid) Morphine for Off-Pump Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery

“…Use of intrathecal morphine (ITM) in cardiac surgery was first reported by Mathews and Abrams in 40 patients, who had good results [Mathews 1980]. Since then many studies have been conducted to investigate varying doses of ITM, either alone [Fitzpatrick 1988, Vanstrum 1998] or in combination with a short-acting opioid for intraoperative analgesia [Shroff 1994, Zarate 2000, Bettex 2002. The benefits of spinal analgesia in the care of cardiac surgical patients include improved analgesia and patient comfort, shortened time to extubation [Shroff 1994], improved peak expiratory flow rate, better control of postoperative hypertension [Vanstrum 1998], and possibly a reduction in intensive care unit (ICU) and hospital stay.…”